Neighbors: Rahway High School Marching Band Is Too Loud
RAHWAY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Rahway High School's award-winning marching band has fallen out of sync with neighbors.
As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, Richard Boulevard residents are complaining the band is just too loud. They are sick of hearing and feeling the beat coming from across the street.
"It's so loud I can't even hear the TV in my house," said neighbor Kelly Popovic. "They were practicing across the street on the tennis courts with their instruments pointed at our house."
"You can sit here and put your hand on the outside of the wall and feel it vibrating," said Mark Backof, another neighbor.
The band has been practicing there since the school was built in 1941 -- now silenced by noise complaints.
The neighbors have lived on the block for more than a decade and even attended Rahway High, but they say they've been dealing with the issue for years. They've attended Town Council meetings, asking the band to stop practice by 8 p.m. and to project the sound away from their homes when clashing cymbals and banging drums.
Band members -- one hundred students strong -- have voiced on social media that they are nervous the marching band could get shut down next year.
But schools Superintendent Edward Yergalonis said he will not let that happen.
"Right now, I'm scheduled to meet with our mayor next week to try to work out and develop a plan that we can amicably coexist once again as good neighbors," he said.
Rahway's marching band is ranked in the top 10 bands in New Jersey.
Director Miguel Bolivar said the dedicated students stop by the band room during their lunch break to practice. (The room has a sound barrier, but is not large enough to hold an entire marching band practice.)
Frustrated neighbors say their intentions are not to shut down the band, but there needs to be a compromise for next football season.
"We have no problem with band, per se, but we'd like them to practice somewhere else," Backof said.
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